Deacon Ordination - Bro Eli Olson

Charge To the Church

Acts 6:1-7

The Ordination of a deacon is a very sacred and holy privilege and obligation. Just as the early church sought the leadership of the Holy Spirit in this matter, so must we. We must be in constant prayer as we have decided to bestow upon Eli and Dayana this wonderful privilege and responsibility. And we must continue to pray for them as they serves the Lord in this calling.

A church has the right to expect that its Deacons be a people who can work well with people. Because a deacon’s ministry is a ministry to people, the deacon’s ability to get along with people is an important responsibility. The church has the right to expect that its deacons show potential for developing an effective ministry, and it also has the right to expect its deacons to be people who are willing to serve. But what are the responsibilities of the Church?

I. To Pray

Heb 13:7, “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

A bus driver and a minister were standing in line to get into heaven. The bus driver approached the gate and St. Peter said, "Welcome, I understand you were a bus driver. Since I'm in charge of housing, I believe I have found the perfect place for you. See that mansion over the hilltop? It's yours.

The minister heard all this and began to stand a little taller. He said to himself, "If a bus driver got a place like that, just think what I'll get."

The minister approached the gate and St. Peter said, "Welcome, I understand you were a minister. See that shack in the valley?"

St. Peter had hardly gotten the words out of his mouth when the irate minister said, "I was a minister, I preached the gospel, I helped teach people about God. Why does that bus driver get a mansion, and I get a shack?"

Sadly St. Peter responded, "Well, it seems when you preached, people slept. When the bus driver drove, people prayed."

II. Support and Encourage

A. Releasing and empowering a person to Minister.

We commonly call these seven men of Acts 6 "deacons" because the Greek noun

diakonos is used in Acts 6:1 ("ministration"), and the verb diakoneo ("serve") is used in Acts 6:2. However, this title is not given to them in this chapter, although you find deacons mentioned in Phil 1:1 and their qualifications given in 1 Tim 3:8-13. The word simply means "a servant" These seven men were humble servants of the church, men whose work made it possible for the Apostles to carry on their important ministries among the people.

These men were selected by the church because the church recognized their service and understood their potential to be influencers in the service of the Lord.

B. The Church Supplied them both the resources physically and spiritually.

III. Follow

1 Cor 11:1 2, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.”

The manager administers, the leader innovates. The manager maintains, the leader develops. The manager relies on systems, the leader relies on people. The manager counts on controls, the leader counts on trust. The manager does things right, the leader does the right thing.